I am so glad to see these Oribe are being so well received. They really are friggin' amazing! I was so excited at how well these turned out especially given "this was never done this way before," which is the mantra of the Hagi SO program.

The photos I have taken each fail to capture all the amazing elements. I will try some more isolated shots ... maybe ... or just concede to the greatness of the innovator Yamane Seigan. I am so glad we are able to connect with him and bring new and different perspectives to the Hagi Tradition together.

I have reached for this cup over and over each and every day since receiving it.

I am really enjoying the richness of the deep green glaze, the silky feel of it, the wonderful edges between the different glazes, and how nice it looks with tea in it.....green tea and light oolongs so far. One real surprise is how balanced mine feels with the heavy foot (I have one of the notched foot versions), and how I find my little finger hooking under the notch foot for better balance--and extra insulation against some very hot tea!

After much nail-biting, I finally liberated my package from the clutches of the post office yesterday! I took it home, only to have a minor heart attack at the sight of this:

Still, I had faith in Mago's teaware-packing abilities, and I was not disappointed--foam peanuts and bubble wrap saved the day! The puncture had gone completely through the outer box, but there wasn't even a scratch on the beautiful tie box (my first ever):

I must confess, I think I took as many pictures of the box as I did of the cup. Though the box was much easier to capture--darn gray Seattle skies! The cup, however is gorgeous ... velvety smooth to the touch, with tons of little tiny bubbles on the white interior. I was lucky enough to get my first pick, and I love the dramatic contrast of white over blue-green that cascades over the lip. The combination of colors is so intricate, every time I look at it, I see something new!

And the drippies on mine aren't quite as dramatic as some, but they have a lovely feel, especially in contrast to the rough clay of the foot.

Hopefully I'll be able to take pictures with better lighting soon, but I was so happy to see this, I just had to share ... Thank you again, Chip--this is going up with the Rock as one of my prize possessions!